Reviews (page 5 of 9)
Nothing the Minute Men didn’t do better
Likte da ikkje så godt
Great indie rock album. Every song on this thing is good, not a bad thing happening here. 9/10
Love pavement
Very weird, but in a good way.
Actually really up my street, I liked it very much. Can feel all the grunge influence, nirvana, pixies etc blended with more jazz influences
Cool
Pavement is one of those bands that I should like but when I listen it just falls flat. It still does after this listen too.
Such a wonderful record!!
Wow this did not hit right for me. It was excruciating listening to this.
Amiable post grunge slacker rock that sort of shambles into view, plays a series of songs about nothing much in particular (skateboards are mentioned at one point) and shambles off again, presumably to have a nice lay down somewhere. I mean, I didn’t hate it but it didn’t really grab me either. The highlight was a spacey instrumental riff on an old Dave Brubeck number that came out of left field.
This is the kind of band that I know of, have listened to a few times, found it interesting, but never took the energy to dig deeper or to make it a regular on my turntable. Anyway, this is a good indie/alt rock album from the 90s, kind of grungy but in a more laid back attitude. Is this changing the face of music? Probably not. Is this good? Hell yeah!
Yet another me too band from the 90s
First heard this album around a year ago & really didn't like it, I just thought it was pretty boring indie rock, however coming back to this, this is actually a really great record, yeah there are some more forgettable tracks on here, but most of this stuff is really cool & melancholic, which somewhat of a side track, I've realized that I don't really tend to like overly depressed music, but rather melancholic music, just something I noticed, anyways, the album's got a lot of really nice riffs & slacker, indie, 90s vibes to it, it just has that 90s alternative vibe that I love, Idek how to describe the feeling just... this feeling of 90s alternative attitude that I love, this record's really great, nice indie stuff.
Solid lo-fi album. This is a good combination of hooks and weird. I like it.
Yeh it’s an indie album, I liked it for a bit but then thought it lacked an emotional edge for me, didn’t make me feel anything positive or negative.
Loved it.
nice lo-fi indie noise. occasionally drifted into discordant a little too much for my tastes, but i enjoyed my time with it.
this is a cool album and i feel cooler for having listened to it. B) it's effortless, quintessential indie rock that rewards repeated listening and new discoveries. the lyrics are baffling in the best way. and unlike their contemporaries weezer, these guys HATE beverly hills. what a breath of fresh air! favorites: silence kid, elevate me later, stop breathin, cut your hair, gold soundz, range life
Me molesta mucho la voz del cantante de Pavement. Claro que hay pésimas voces en el mundillo de la música y sobre todo en el Rock, donde a veces la postura y el carisma lo es todo, pero es que hoy no he tenido paciencia para esa voz debilucha de Pavement.
Top 5 from the 90s… Not everyone’s cuppa but works perfectly for my brain.
- ziemlich moody und meist laid back und entspannt. Gefiel mir sehr gut
Such a great record, probably one I'll go back to over and over but somehow not their best, although their best changes from day to day or hour to hour
I liked this one that I totally missed in the 90's. I'll revisit it at some point, and I bet my rating will grow.
there wasn't a song that really caught me or had me wanting to listen to more
Ok but nothing special. I'm not really a fan of Pavement.
Another classic of indie rock. Pavement really have a remarkably consistent discography.
A good 90s alternative record. Not amazing, but really solid. I enjoyed this quite a bit, but it wasn't anything super special either. Sort of confused about what their issue with STP is, though, who definitely should have at least one album on this list (and probably deserve a space more than pavement). "Fillmore Jive" is probably the highlight for me. I wish I could give this a 3.5 because a 3 feels too low but a 4 feels a little too high. Ultimately rounding down because I don't love it the same way I loved the other albums I've given 4 stars to recently.
It’s alright, a bit repetitive album. Better indie rock out there. Gold soundz was good
It was good in the first part then i REALLY didn't like the last part - at all.
Somewhere between dinosaur jr and the replacements. Melancholy melody.
I enjoyed some of these songs.
Can’t say I’ve ever listened to the album all the way through in the past… Definitely in my genre of music and I like a lot of of what Malamus and team are doing… bit quirky for my liking, but bit mad at it.
Always enjoy Pavement
Pavement is one of those ‘90s bands that should have been bigger and have been underrated . Great ‘90s indie album
Used to be my favourite, now my second least favourite Pavement.
Very, very high 4 stars. These guys were so damn cool. 4/5
Ok listen. Didn't move me.
Gold soundz indeed
Jangly and surprising complicated indie rock from the birth of alternative…
Not one that I have heard anything about previously. It does seem like it could have ended up being an influential album for some future bands. This one wasn’t a favorite of mine, mostly wasn’t into the singers voice. It did sound like it had potential otherwise.
One of those bands; you get them or you don't...if you do, they are really amazing...I do my love!
There were a couple good tracks, but nothing that really stood out. It was all quite generic sounding.
Very compelling album. I wish I never overlooked this one when I firdt listened to it ages ago.
One of those albums I'm not sure about because it was in an era when we were just listening to different stuff in the UK. Though the counterpoint is that this charted here but not in the USA. It starts slow, hits a few tunes in the middle then tails off. I don't know, I think I would have possibly liked this if it was one of "my" albums at the time.
I didn't get into Pavement until more recently, but I already liked this album. As someone who grew up with the Smashing Pumpkins as my favorite band, "Range Life" always makes me chuckle.
Decent grunge-era album.
I enjoyed this. I don't know if it's very unique, but I needed something to enjoy rather than something unique to dislike.
Don’t love the vocals but they grew on me. I can hear the influence of this over a lot of artists I’ve listened to. That soft punk rock indie sound where the guitars do the singing and the vocals carry the message. Will listen again
Music was alright, really wasn't a huge fan of the singer.
6/10
Probably their best, at least, the most singular in its vision. A jazz album, almost, an alt country album, almost. An slacker anthem and defining message of its time. Utterly brilliant. Goodnight, to the rock and roll era.
Great album love the rock vibes. Feels like im in a small bar drinking beer with my buddies as we jam. Floor is sticky and the girls are mean. Notable standouts: Gold Soundz, Silence Kid, 5-4=Unity, Heaven Is a Truck
This album is good company as you head home after a late night of mucking up. Guitar riffs and drum rhythm feel like sweat cooling on your skin in the night air as you march home. Lyrics capture the essence of being a young person finding your place in the world, while shoving it to the system flanking your rebellion Elevate me later, Stop Breathin, Cut your hair, Unfair, Gold Soundz, Range Life
Guitars and percussion are pretty good, vocals aren’t always the best but they stack up pretty well in the mix. Various influences shine through which sparked my interest with each song. A decent alt-rock, grunge, album.
Nothing that really caught my attention here
Very much of its time. Not a standout, but neither is it among the worst examples of the period. That said, "5-4=Unity" caused me to stop what I was doing and pay attention. Best, most unique piece on the album.
neat songwriting, quite charming
The 90s indie kids can keep this. I think you had to be there
Either you like what Pavement is doing, or you don’t. Deciding how much you like or dislike what they’re doing will help you determine how much you love or hate them. I like what Pavement is doing, but I don’t love it. I find myself simultaneously wishing they were way weirder and more off-kilter, closer to a Sonic Youth or even Pixies, or more straight-forward ‘90s college rock, closer to Built to Spill or even Superchunk. By wanting to be both, they don’t really scratch either itch entirely. I think that’s exemplified clearly on Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, which starts off pretty strong with cohesive alt-rock songs with a little flair, but derails by the time of we get to the “radio single.” Songs like “Hit the Plane Down” with it’s out-of-tune guitar licks, or the deconstructed “Newark Wilder,” or the piss-take lounge of “5-4=Unity” all feel up its own ass, and, dare I say, pseudo-intellectual. And that’s really what annoys me about Pavement, because as soon as I start to give them a good hard look, I realize that they are pseudo-intellectual and self-indulgent in the worst ways. Whether that’s in the hatred of the mainstream in “Unfair,” the scene references in “Range Life,” or even the obnoxious self-obsession with ✨selling out✨ that ruins “Cut Your Hair,” it’s all so…boring. It’s of its time, so Gen X, and 30 years later, it makes my eyes roll to the back of my head. We get it, man, you’re never going to bend over for the ~man~, man! How original that you would never sell out, and yet, in 5 years, every time, you’re going to end up in a suit and tie. I’ve seen this one before, it’s the ending of Reality Bites, isn’t it? I think doing that on your lead single is especially annoying if you’re over the age of 21. Once you’re legally allowed to drink, this attitude becomes hard to take seriously, because it’s so obviously immature. Just write a good song, dude, this isn’t a purity test. And that’s what makes the good songs on Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain so much harder to stomach. Because they feel like a punchline for the piss-takes to just piss you off. And that’s annoying, because the good songs that aren’t purposefully off-kilter are actually really great here. But they’re only about half the record, and Pavement overall seems more interesting in fucking around. And I’m too grown up for that shit. It’s no surprise that “Fillmore Jive” is the best song here. It takes the strong songwriting Pavement are clearly capable of and adds in some of that weirdness that made them speak to a generation of scenesters. And the result is powerful, and, dare I say, generational. Now, is it just an updated version of a Modern Lovers song? Perhaps, and maybe that strips it of some of its power, but it’s much more successful in its messaging than piss-takes and set-ups for piss-takes. If Pavement focused on writing listenable songs for even 7/12 of this record, I’d like it a ton more. But to me, the 50/50 balance makes the whole thing feel lopsided. It tips over into an edgy direction that I don’t love, and colors the whole record. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is too in-between their best qualities and their worst, and I think makes for a flimsy listen in the end. There’s other Pavement records for me.
pretty good but not necessarily my jam. the singer’s voice can get kinda grating after awhile. gold soundz is a certified classic tho i have to say.
smug, clever-clever, herky-jerky indie rock.
If "Boring Rock" was a genre, these guys would be pioneers.
An album I'm not sure of the reason behind its presence on this list. Pavement's Crooked Rainx2 was your typical nineties alternative, easy enough to listen to but not distinct. They kept reminding me of another band, though I couldn't quite put my finger on who. The vocals weren't anything remarkable either.
This was ultimately kind of anti-climatic 90s alternative rock. It leans in the "indie" direction of that 90s alternative rock scale, though; so it's a bit more chill and less hard hitting than other subgenres. So it was a fairly easy listen, but ultimately there just wasn't much there to pack a huge punch. But I am still a simple man who enjoys most 90s alternative stuff, so have your baseline average rating, I guess.
El álbum de slacker rock por excelencia. Me alegro mucho de haberlo escuchado, ya que no conocía a Pavement. Un grupo que representa la esencia rockera norteamericana de los 90, y que se mantuvo fiel a sus raíces indies. Muy buenas composiciones, una especie de stoner shoegaze con mucha personalidad, con una atmósfera y una voz melancólicas pero sin llegar a ser tristes. Un álbum interesante, fácil de escuchar, y que encarna el espíritu de una época.
6.5/10
Just… fine
Really really subpar music absolutely decimated by some of the worst vocals I've ever heard
Some pretty droning Some casual poetry Makes alt rock success
It makes no sense that I've never listened to a Pavement album before. Better late than never, though. This is right up my alley. I recognized Cut My Hair - I used to like that song! I forgot about it. I also recognized Silence Kid because of how it plays with the melody from Buddy Holly's Everyday, which I think is lovingly intentional after some quick reading about the band. I'll definitely be revisiting this record.
Boring. A lot of the same stuff. Love "Cut your hair". Everything else sounds the same.
Cut Your Hair is a decent track. I'm just bored and unimpressed by the rest. They're not doing anything that wasn't done much better by the Pixies or Weezer.
I don't know why, but I associate Pavement with springtime. Perfect album for today.
I'm getting whiffs of Modest Mouse. I'm getting hints of Sonic Youth. I'm getting an urge to listen to those bands instead. But mostly I'm just getting bored.
Meh
Loses steam in the second half for me.
This is what happens when you make music drunk/stoned. Someone pleeeze tell him to tune that guitar. It was ok, but can't really tell the difference between these guys and every other indie grunge band from the mid 90s. 2½
Pavement checks all my style and influence boxes. I've learned that sometimes the "box checking" bands can disappoint however, when the style is there without the substance. But in this case, I heard something on the first listen that made me want to go back again. On second listen, I enjoyed it even more than the first time through. Specifically, from "Cut My Hair" (the big hit in its day) through the end. I'm going to keep some of these songs in the rotation. RANDOM STUFF: If you ever wanted to know what could have been, had Neil Young joined up with the Velvet Underground, you can find out by listening to "Range Life." And what's up with "5-4=Unity" borrowing from the Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"? So curious, but enjoyed that little interlude....
This album took several turns from the over-the-top grinding rock assault tracks, to alt-rock hit maker, to quirky experiment, and then more and more of the same. Somehow, in the end, it really impressed me more than I expected. I got a very distinctive early Wilco-vibe at its best, and as it progressed, I was kind of sold. I don't know how I missed this in the nineties, but I was glad to get it here. It may be pushing it a little, but listening to this on the 101 on the CA coast on a beautiful day, pushes this to a 4 for me. I guess I'm ready for a range life.
Nirvana if they were chill
When I first heard this album years ago I think I hated it except for Cut Your Hair and Unfair. And now I think it’s a masterpiece.
I'm afraid this is just one of my least favorite types of rock music.
I feel like I should like Pavement more than I actually do. This album has nothing I want to listen to again.
Always interesting to hear music that released the year you were born, this indie rock album sounded pretty standard to me. Not much wrong, but also not really attention grabbing.
I'm not sure if this is unique to me, but this music makes me very uneasy. I suppose that's what they're trying to convey. It also makes me feel very much like a Dad... I want to slap these guys and tell them to speak up, apply themselves and contribute to society. If you're gonna do anything do it well god damn it! Obviously this is not resonating with me but I do appreciate what they're doing. A sloppier Replacements/Wilco. All this boils down to the fact I have a blind spot for 90's alternative/grunge music (unless you're REM or Nirvana).
Hate to do this, guys, but I gotta be honest: I fucking hate pavement. The ‘I don’t care’ attitude and sloppy, apathetic sound feels like a defense mechanism against criticism that these songs are underwritten, the instrumentation uninspired and their sound derivative of better artists who had already been long out of style. It’s like when a kid says ‘I wasn’t even trying!’ whenever they lose. In an adult, it’s kind of pathetic. It may be true that the noodly, unassured playing gives them a distinctive style, but if that distinctive style can otherwise be described as ‘sucking at your instrument’ I’m not sure it’s anything worth striving for. Because of their indie status, this is probably the 10th time I’ve given this album a try, and every time I try to convince myself that songs like ‘cut your hair’ and ‘range life’ could have been big singles in a just society. But it’s just not true. They weren’t big singles because they aren’t very good.
One of those albums that you get prompted with and say to yourself “this looks like shit and so its going to sound like shit” After Silent kid and Elevate Me later, I thought this was Dinosaur Jr. By track 3 (Stop Breathing) I was hooked. By track 4 (Cut Your Hair), I thought I was deep in a Wilco album (how didnt that song top the alt charts back in 94?) 5-4Unity kind of pushed me over the edge with this stuff - out of nowhere we get jazz alt rock 😂 Range Life solidified it with a solid country twang tune How the heck did I miss these guys? This is up there with Nirvana/Meat puppets stuff for me (theres some Cobain squeaking that comes out of nowhere). And theyre some Stockton boys? Get the fuck outta here 😆 4.5 stars and rounding up. My one gripe is with Hit The Plane Down - 🤮
This is one of my favorites of all time, one of those albums that I can hear the next song in my head before it starts. Reminds me of post-college days living in Chicago, working my first real job, discovering new music and venues around the city. There was probably a several month stretch where I was listening to this album every day, these days probably only once a year, but I love it every time.
Pretty cool. I would have been into this back in the 90s.
Definitely heavier rock than I normally enjoy, but I didn’t hate it.
Bands that have a singer that "Can't sing" has a very big hit and miss ratio. I like Interpol and modest mouse because they have "something" in their voices. This is a bit to regular "bad" singer for me. Often the music and vibe has to carry and compliment the vocals. some songs work and those are pretty easy to spot on the views/listens. but the only one kinda liked was "Cut your hair"
The greatest American band of the 90s and this is their best album. Brilliant start to finish. Fav tracks: Range Life, Gold Soundz, Silence Kit
..
I had no idea what to expect but I enjoyed this. At times they reminded me of Wilco. 3.5/5
Not for me. This is a demo. Who decided this record was ok to sell to people in exchange for money? Did they throw in 5-4=Unity just to remind the listener that music doesn’t have to be painful? Or did Spotify glitch and what I heard was actually by a different band.
I liked it more as it went on. A 90s time capsule.
Eh, I’m pretty indifferent towards this one. Nothing particularly good or bad.
Celebrating underachievement, but this gets an A+ from me: "Out on my skateboard, the night is just humming/And the gum smacks are the pulse I'll follow if my Walkman fades." I've never even been on a bloody skateboard but this conveys the vibe so well. (Also, I miss my Walkman.)
It wasn't bad, but it was pretty forgettable.
I only knew 'Cut Your Hair' and 'Range Life' before going into this one, but I have to say, I fucking loved it. Poppier and more laid back than its (enjoyable) predecessor, beneath the slacker vibe is some razor-sharp and at times unpredictable songwriting. I definitely think it's time for me to re-evaluate Pavement's catalogue.
Tough album to find.
This is #day196 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... it's a sunny February afternoon here in my hometown Lviv, the world is crashing down, but at least there's good music out there. Now, give me '90s American indie rock any day. Pavement... they must be one of the most entertaining bands in the genre: unconventional guitar play, offbeat melodies, and totally bizarre lyrics and songwriting all around. I’ve been aware of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain since when I ran an indie music blog with a friend (which I mentioned in my Orange Juice review), but I’d never actually listened to it until today. Having done so, I can only say: yes, it's absolutely enjoyable. Guess I'll go crazy and give this a 5 out of 5. Can’t wait to revisit Slanted and Enchanted next (because I’m familiar with that one and know it's on the list). Looking forward to #day197.
Wasn’t really feeling this.
It was not bad.
Not for me
I never heard this entire album before, but its worth the listen. Solid, genuine, and well produced. Very much "of its time", but what isn't? 4/5
One of best
2/5. I've heard worse from this list, but this doesn't qualify as good in any respect.
A guitar album for people who hate guitar albums, and a whole bunch of nonsensical lyrics that remind me of driving around aimlessly in high school listening to this album.
Meh… I imagine my enjoyment of this album would change with the weather and my age and my mood. It’s not bad, it’s just not absolutely good either. It’s like the idea of what a college freshman thinks would be impress a girl at the keg party.
Like Weezer but without any redeeming qualities
Slacker indie at it's finest! Despite it's frayed at the edges style and delivery it belies some cleverly constructed songs and the playing is focused and sharp. Fillmore Jive is a great way to close the album. Gold Soundz, Range Life, Cut Your Hair and Silence Kid are all stand out
This is an album and band I’ve listened to occasionally for a long time now, probably 15 years or so (didn’t know them as a kid in the 90’s). Crooked Rain and Slanted and Enchanted always found their ways to lists of albums I’d probably like, and the lists weren’t wrong. Crooked Rain Crooked Rain is a fantastic listen. It’s unmistakably Pavement, unmistakably 90’s indie rock. The jangly guitars leading the way on most tracks is a sound I’ve always been attracted to. Cut Your Hair is the band’s biggest single, and it’s always a catchy fun song. Gold Soundz and Range Life are the other two can’t miss highlights for me. I particularly love the latter: “if I could settle down then I would settle down” is such a great evocative line. So much to love on this odd little album.
Not a fan of this. Really hampered by the vocals. I get that there's a rawness to this genre but it doesn't make me want to listen to it anymore. 3.5/10 (1.75/5)
I have a weird hang up with a lot of 90’s alt/indie/grunge music. I am very attached to the bands I grew up with but find the ones I didn't to be facsimiles or posers. It’s irrational and I’m aware of it, and it ignores that influence is a reflection and many bands and artists get my love while others get my disdain for the same reasons. I love Pearl Jam, can’t stand Soundgarden. I love Rage Against the Machine, I can’t fuck with Audioslave. This band unfortunately hits me the wrong way. I can’t help but hear them as trying to be other bands. I fuck with other songs and bands that are angsty annd alt but idk why I just cant connect with this one. The voice sounded too whiny, the music felt too familiar to be original. I think it’s a me thing. His voice does that screeching thing and I don’t love it but it did remind of a a song that I can’t place my finger on. Idt it’s this band but I swear it’s this singer. Who knows. I’m biased with this era. Maybe I was just a contrarian who had to define myself against other shit in highschool, idk.
this one just didn't do much for me. I had it on in the background during work, and at the end I couldn't name a notable song that stuck out to me. not bad, but not memorable in my humble opinion
I couldn't get into it. Some of the songs were fine, but there were far too many moments where I wondered "is this album over yet?". It wasn't even a long album.
I appreciated the indie rock vibe, especially with never having heard of this band before but nothing too exciting.
A great 3 star! Fun. Allie said it reminded her of Doctor Dog. We enjoyed listening. Really good alternative(?) sound!
I think I see why this album made the cut? I feel like they could have influenced later groups, but I’m not sure. Either way, it wasn’t all that good. Also, not exactly new info, but one of the songs used on Pardon The Interruption is on this album, Cut Your Hair, but they only play the ‘woo-boo’ part. Using that song on a show with two bald hosts is a brilliant move.
I don't know half of the albums on this list half as well as I should; and I like less than half of the albums on this list half as well as they deserve. This album is the opposite of the later half of that statement. I don't think this album should get that much love. It's fairly mediocre and probably could be replaced on this list..... but I kinda like it. Undeservedly so, I really like it. I can't put my finger on why though. Every song has a voice crack or a note played off beat that reminds you "hey, you shouldn't like this". Maybe it's just the mix up in the list that brings some fresh air. Either way, I favorited a few songs, and I'll probably come back to it again.
Not a complete home run for me. But the good outweighs the bad. I’m the sicko who loves the whiny vocals. And the backing guitars are great. 4/5
hätt ma mehr erwartet
C+W for the chronically depressed
Such a distinctive sound. Great songs and lyrics.
Enjoyed Gold Soundz, Silence Kid, and Fillmore Jive in particular.
Interesting enough 3.5 stars
3/5
The singing is like nails on a chalkboard.
Grungey. It was ok. ✅
Man I just can't get past the vocals on here. They're rough at best. They're bad enough that it really just ruined the album.
This is definitely weird, but in all the right ways. Sounds to me like a mix of The Pixies and Nirvana. The instrumental 5-4=Unity was interesting (is it a "cover" of Dave Brubeck's "Take Five"?). This album gives me the urge to gather some friends and jam out and maybe start a band. Favourite Tracks: Stop Breathin, Cut Your Hair, Range Life, Fillmore Jive 4/5
This is the epitome of the middle of the road for me. Until we got to 5-4, earned itself a two with that one.
As another rater noted, "Every time I listen to Pavement I think 'wow, I should listen to more Pavement.'”
This has grown on me *some* over the last 24 years (since I married a Pavement fan), but I would say I still only actively like a few songs on this album, and the rest I just feel kind of meh about. But the songs I do like I like quite a bit, so I’m still gonna rate it 3/5.
Amazingly for me Pavement and Wilco appeared on this list within a week of eachother, as they were for a short while two of my favourite bands. In fact I’m pretty sure it’s because they both played Primavera one year and I became obsessed. Pavement are the best US indie/lofi/slacker/whatever you want to label them as band. I think they are probably like Velvet Underground in that whole thing of not everyone bought their records straight away, but those that did formed numerous bands. Hugely influential. Even listening to this now it’s mental to think it’s 31 year old. Totally timeless, total classic.
Been aware of pavement for ages but the few tracks id heard didn't land for me, think because it's not the sort of music that is made for immediate attention. Enjoyed this more and more as the album went on, it's sort of like the pixies in the sort of ramshackle DIY sounding indie sense but was a bit more eclectic/post rocky. Will definitely repeat this and almost certainly enjoy it more the next time. 4.5
I just think the droney vocals put me off. Some of the later tracks are cracking, 5-4=Unity, and Range Life, and I liked Elevate Me Later, but I'm just not very enthusiastic about the whole thing. 3.5, because of how much I enjoyed the standout tracks, and some brave variation on guitar and song structure.
Was looking forward to this when I saw it come up after their last album we've had. I think I enjoyed this more than the last. On paper this should be completely for me, but there is something that is stopping it clicking fully and I'm not quite sure what. Still very good though. Ignore that I've changed my mind.... It's a 4.5 but getting a 5 Highlights: Stop breathing Cut your hair Unfair Gold sounds Range life
not bad but not for me
An alt-rock indie classic. Angular, odd, white noise splashes, melodies, pop pretentions, funny and strange. Pavement were an important band in the 90s. I can see why people may not like them, but they're wrong. This is definitely an album to hear before you die. Best Tracks: Silence Kit; Cut Your Hair; Gold Soundz
Love Weezer and they had similar vibes.
This is a pretty good album. I was never a big fan of the grunge movement of the 90s , so this is a breath of fresh air. It has some cool influances like the Stones and the Velvet Underground. I will revisit it.
***An ok album
"Cut Your Hair" ... yeah, OK. But I've never understood the hardcore devotion of Pavement fans. If you're a Pavement superfan, are you a Paver? Or an Ass-phalt?
i cravement the pavement
I have a couple of friends who are huge Pavement fans and I have never really delved into their discography at all. I liked this and I imagine I’ll throw it on again, but it didn’t hit for me like it does for some people. Maybe I’ll change my mind! I'll listen again eventually.
This is a really nice indie rock album. It feels mellow. A lot of music from today seems to feature a similar vibe to this album.
A fantastic time machine to a time in my life where possibilities were endless. An album that encapsulates the feeling of having the ability to do anything, but making the choice to do nothing. Feeling as if that choice was made for you. Feeling everything and nothing at all. Great album.
4.5 stars if i could! feels like a sunny day it’s a triumph to be able to enjoy this again
Well played. Vocals are not my thing tho.
I see now where mj lenderman got it from
Kind of a tough one to rate. Overall it's a good album that is sort of the indie alternative to grunge in the 90s but there's just not a ton that really sticks out after a few listens.
This was OK I guess. Not enough on here to listen to it again but I am glad that I have listened to a Pavement album.
A landmark album. Some of my favorite songs of all time on this one. Would be a perfect 5 if there was something else besides hit the plane down on it
This record has good sides and bad ones, making it a decent but by no means an outstanding work. A few compositions do make a great use of guitar and possess much energy, while others are merely boring or mediocre. The latter mostly include 'soft' tracks. "Hit the Plane Down" and "Unfair" would be my picks for this album, while "5-4=Unity" deserves a special mention as a worthwhile instrumental. Long story short, average one with exceptions.
Muss nochmals hören
Not my thing but it was pretty good. The vocals were mostly good but at times had the dreary tone.
I really liked it! I enjoy pavement a lot. Added a song to my playlist
I want to like Pavement every time I put them on but it never really clicks. I liked a few songs but even then it was a pretty lukewarm feeling. Honestly, that might be my issue, with how purposely lofi it is, how is it supposed to make you feel anything stronger than lukewarm? Even as I type that, there have been plenty of stripped down, lofi artists that make me feel a ton so I still don't quite get my distaste with Pavement. There have been too many awesome bands that I didn't enjoy at first which is why I want to tread lightly with my criticism. I'm also not a big grunge fan, so I can appreciate how some would choose this in response to grunge's sound. Rating: 3.2
This album isn't doing much for me. There's nothing offensively bad about it, but it's difficult to stay engaged even when musically intriguing moments happen. The vocals are mixed in a way that makes me feel like I'm struggling through a fog to get to the good shit. Never a good sign when listening to an artist inspires me to immediately go listen to someone else. Range Life is a great little track, though.
I happened to listen to this today before it was assigned as the album of the day. I love the goofy, witty, playful but also really emotional elements of this album, has really grown on me over time.
Just has a few songs that really like me, the other ones wasn't too good.
Very very meh
90s version of college rock. Sometimes trying to get the gritty 'low budget' sound you just slightly miss and this could be one case in point. Still Pavement had a few good tunes and shouldn't be swept off of .... the pavement.
Pretty good, liked few songs but probably won’t listen again
I remember that Pavement's celebrated debut "Slanted and Enchanted" appeared on multiple music periodical lists in 1999; critics retrospectively called it "summery," probably because of the paradoxical first track/single "Summer Babe (Winter Version)." Following the transition of "Alternative" from post-grunge to Limp Bizkit, I relied heavily on Rolling Stone's End of the Year or "Fin de siècle" lists to pursue music that would otherwise not be played on the mainstream radio. Having missed the era of MTV's 120 Minutes Live or even Unplugged, I found artists like Liz Phair, Yo La Tengo, Pavement, Built to Spill, PJ Harvey, Tori Amos via back issues of music periodicals. Unlike some of the artists I listed Pavement was a band whose debut was my introduction to their discography, for the subsequent releases I relied on my local library (which only had a badly scuffed copy of "Brighten the Corners"). I didn't get a copy of "Crooked Rain Crooked Rain" or "Wowee Zowee" until Freshman year of college, so both of those records never inspired the same level of appreciation and heavy rotation as the ones I listened to while in high school. "Silence Kit," begins with an intentional false start and caught dialogue, before a cowbell percussive breezy guitar melody...Stephen Malkmus's slacker lyrics read like an inside joke meandering at a conversational tone without choruses, it shifts into a cul-de-sac and then ends. "Elevate Me Later" sounds like spiritual sequel to "Loretta's Scars" ("Those who sleep with electric guitars/Range rovin' with the cinema stars...There are forty different shades of black/ so many fortresses and ways to attack") Clever lyrics and overlapping guitar textures, incidental hooks and accidental choruses, tossed off time signature changes (Stop Breathin"). The college radio quasi-hit "Cut Your Hair" launched Pitchforkmedia with a sarcastic critique of the indie rock gold rush and a feigned indifference that reduced credibility to haircut aesthetics (but "ironically"). "Newark Wilder" has a 1960s spy movie vibe with snaky guitars, everything has a false ending...."Unfair" anticipated Weezer by a decade for asking to "burn the hills of Beverly" because California has "Manmade deltas and concrete rivers." Every song tends to blur together like they could have defined a perpetually shrugging and snide generation that distrusted being reduced to a marketing demographic. 5-4=unity (is a marvelous night for a Moondance), "Range Life" has a "Zurich is Stained" strum and weary desire to "settle down" but "Don't worry, we're in no hurry" before mocking both The Smashing Pumpkins and Stone Temple Pilots for being "nature kids" and "elegant bachelors." I guess if you can't be overtly political you can gatekeep the scene at a time when selling out mattered to privileged suburban kids passing as bohemian outsiders. "Hit the Plane Down" is terrible and "Fillmore Jive" feels like filler (1994 makes Pavement a few years too late to dismiss hair metal as passé). "Crooked Rain Crooked Rain" was a decently catchy follow up record that fell short of all expectations, because the final ten minutes are excruciatingly poor in execution. Some will argue that the best Pavement material exists on limited edition import singles and obscure compilations that were subsequently combined on Expanded Remastered Editions of their studio albums, which can be differentiated from standard issue by the colon and clever subtitle appended to the original album name (i.e., Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: LA's Desert Origins adds 12 b-sides from singles and a second CD with two concert recordings and a John Peel Session). I am not reviewing those editions because I am not a completist.
I think every Pavement album except their last might have been my favorite Pavement album at some point. Right now, this one is my favorite.
I knind of like the garage/indie/grunge vibe but so many others were doing it they all blend in. Not bad, just mundane.
Quite nice
Pretty good sound
Great init
January 11th HL: “Elevate Me Later”, “Cut Your Hair”, “Gold Soundz”, “Unfair”, “Range Life” Slanted and Enchanted was the first Pavement I heard, and between its rough-edged, lofi production and Malkmus’s talk singing, I didn’t really feel a pull to go deeper into their catalogue. Actually I DID put on American Water by Silver Jews last year, which has Malkmus’s involvement, but that’s about it. But holay shit This is an album so consistent, it makes me wonder if I was wrong about their earlier album. (I’ll have to revisit at a later date) Amidst some unholy screeching (“Unfair”), we have a jazz interlude (“5-4=Unity”), the country-esque (“Stop Breathin’”, “Range Life”), and a monkey-esque wordless chorus (“Cut Your Hair”), all in a pretty efficient 40 minutes. Basically, I get it now
Easy 5 stars. The extras on the expanded edition are a 5 star album. rocks. (⌐■_■)
Pavement rules, this album rules. Apparently they have one more on the list—should be more, that’s for damn sure.
Pavement's Crooked Rain Crooked Rain is a delightfully playful, nonchalant and tasteful mix of catchy songwriting, solid grooves and enticing flow. They perform each song--tongue firmly in cheek--with an endearing laziness that encapsulates the entire album, yet never overstays its welcome. It is obvious that the landscape of indie-rock in the late nineties and subsequent decades pays homage to Pavement's sophomore album time and time again, including many of my personal favourites from those eras, and I will definitely be returning to this project many times in the future.
Fair album.
When you want everyone to think that you're Blur, but you really suck at songwriting and sounding like Blur.
The three singles that everyone knows from the 90s are good, the rest of the album is fine, but I don't know that I'll ever understand the thinking that this is an album that's needed to be listened to before dying. I get that a lot from this list, to be fair. YMMV.
Knew and liked one or two of their songs already which were on this album, rest.of the album follows that so I'd say 'enjoyable'
I liked it
Some parts I really like but the vocals and music occasionally really lack, some production could also have lifted this album. Overall though, not bad.
Solid 5.5
Had to listen to it twice and enjoyed it more the second time. I feel like this band could have been something even bigger. Lots to work with here, including the Dave Brubeck homage. Not crazy about the bitch-slap of Stone Temple Pilots, though.
Had a lot of dissonant sounds and was pretty heavy on the guitar distortion at times, but was intriguing enough that I might give another listen.
3.5
This album is a bit cleaner and more polished than their last one, but it still retains that raw indie sound. One cool thing about Pavement is their ability to build up their music to where it gets a little loud and noisy, yet they still maintain a laid-back and calm vibe throughout the entire album.
Guitar was very groovy and the best part of the album. Hits a different pocket of cool than others do, kinda loser core instead of trying to be cool and i like that. Chill tracks are my favorite despite cut your hair being the big hit 1. newark wilder 2. gold soundz 3. fillmore jive
Surprised! Somehow I never heard them.
Detuned and whiny. I know a lot of folks really dig Pavement, but I'd never really gotten much into them. After hearing my first complete Pavement album, I really don't have much of a desire to explore further. Back to the alt-90's with you.
I want to love Pavement, but I just can't get past the voice. The instrumental song was the only one I liked.
Pues… es lo que es. No me voy a hacer fan de los Pavimento pero tampoco me la pasé mal. Pero creo que ya se me olvidó.
Classic Pavement. Delightfully disjointed.
Another band the creator seems to quite like. Not sure why two of these have appeared now, I think one was more than enough. Don't think it had much of an impact on music, the soft - hard - soft style had been in use for many years by many bands already by this point, and I don't think this added much to the genre. Not an unenjoyable listen, but one I don't think I'll be putting on again anytime soon.
Honestly this delivers. It never tries to be anything more than it is, and it provides a decent amount of entertainment value. I like the raw sound, which in its own way is a little innovative and unique from the mainstream music at the time.
This album would be really good with a better singer, but is still good enough for 4 stars or B-.
Beavis and Butthead were right, these guys need to try harder. It’s not a bad album though, it just is very much the same mood most of the time. Sometimes the singer would draw out his syllables at the end (not as bad as Dylan thankfully), and it would make me cringe. It was a good album for my morning listen, but kind of fell off into background music without me paying much attention to it.
Some great musical pieces here, especially towards the end. 3.5 stars
a fun 2000s indie rock album over half a decade before the 2000s were invented. respect!
Wieder eine neue Band entdeckt. Danke für diese Challenge.
An album "stuck in time", but in a good way. A nice illustration of what 90's alternative/indie rock could do.
2 not great only good song was haircut
I always want to hate on Pavement - then I listen to a record of theirs and enjoy it. This is no different. Accessible Indie with shoegaze-y aspects.
AWFUL
own
I've never been able to get into them
I enjoyed it and will try and listen again. I liked the scrappyness of it
Dit is een kolfje naar m'n hand. Het vorige Pavement album dat ik kreeg was eigenlijk ook goed, maar beviel me toch net niet helemaal. Bij dit album is dat anders. Ik ken het album niet maar qua muziek voelt het een beetje als thuiskomen. Lekker geluid, goed opgenomen, leuke gitaren, genoeg afwisseling, de zanger zingt een beetje kut (huismerk Dylan) maar niet tè, regelmatig zit er zowel als zang qua gitaar bewust een dissonantje in, maar die kunnen we hebben vandaag. En het album voelt ook wel als een album, een soort reis van A naar B. Ik kan deze wel een 4 toeschuiven. Het voelt als thuiskomen ook al kende ik hier helemaal niks van. De op één na laatste track zoekt wel echt de grens op van wat ik kan hebben, maar prima.
meh.
So so
Pretty good
Very much my sort of thing, I saved some songs :)
Nothing special here. Doesn't deserve to be on the list.
No strong feelings but not sure I can give it a 3. 2.5 maybe?
not bad
8/10 Very good but slightly the same throughout Favourite Song=Unfair Least Favourite Song=Stop Breathing
Pavement has such a unique sound and vibe in the world of indie rock. Talented songwriting and always interesting instrumentals. I first heard these guys on the Mlb 2k6 soundtrack if you can believe that. Thanks game for shaping my tastes. Anyway this album rocks, never a dull moment
<3 Pavement
I've been waiting for this album :)
kind of good but some are questionable, more of a 3.5
Pavement was the ultimate American indie rock bank of the 1990s, and this one has some classics, like Cut Your Hair, Gold Soundz and Range Life. Such a Gen X touchstone that I actually know two different people who titled their blogs "Range Life." Back in the day I was so enamored of the LP before this, Slanted and Enchanted, that I avoided listening to this one for several years for fear of being disappointed, which was not easy to do working in a record store. Once I could approach it with some emotional distance I grew to really love it. I have a feeling that they will get lost to history, but to a certain set of lonely nerds, they touched a nerve.
I wish I could say that I'd heard of Pavement or recognized some distinctive trait of them, but other than the somewhat later release year of this album, I'd be hard-pressed to distinguish them from a slew of 80s/90s indie bands like Dinosaur Jr, Meat Puppets, Wilco, etc., except perhaps a somewhat lighter edge and perhaps slightly-more-audible lyrics. But I'm also struck by how challenged I am to even remember the differences between most of the tracks on this album--"Stop breathin" and "Newark wilder" are a bit more acoustic-oriented than others, I guess? and "5-4=Unity" *does* have a somewhat more distinctive style/tone, in part as it's an instrumental. And although Wikipedia tells me that "Cut your hair" helped get them more attention, I certainly don't recall ever hearing it before, and aside from a somewhat quirky (and equally annoying) video, it didn't really make a big impression on me either. That said, I found "Range life" the most interesting song on the album, and its somewhat mesmerizing video centered on a Dutch music festival is worth watching (also hilarious that their mocking lyrics of Smashing Pumpkins and Stone Temple Pilots got them booted from their scheduled appearance at Lollapalooza in 1994). I believe Robert Christgau that in his eyes they're the "finest rockband of the '90s," but I just don't hear it, frankly. Although it looks like I'll get a second chance, as we're also going to get to hear their debut album in this collection ("Slanted And Enchanted"). I can't really capture in words how excited I am at this prospect....
Hadn't heard this before. Interesting songs, well-done though not quite as melodic as I like my rock. I listened to it over two days and feel I need to listen to it again to really get my head around it.
*sigh* I'm not much of a fan
Second album généré pour ce groupe. Il n'est pas plus original que le premier ... =>2/5
This album is a bit cleaner and more polished than their last one, but it still retains that raw indie sound. One cool thing about Pavement is their ability to build up their music to where it gets a little loud and noisy, yet they still maintain a laid-back and calm vibe throughout the entire album.
2/5
it ranges from a peak of mediocre to a low of annoying af. dos estrellas.
Didn’t like it
unremarkable
Strong and consistent song-writing from obviously the best American guitar band from the 90s. All 5 Pavement albums are 5 star and their singles/EPs contain many 5-star songs as well. Their music reminds me of Kevin Ayers albums in the sense that both Pavement and KA make their songs look so effortless.
Not for me.
Excellent songs performed with just the right attitude.
I could happily take it or leave it. It was fine. A good indie album that's all in my opinion.
this was okay. 🫤 idk man. it was okay. can’t complain. 🫤
Pre-listening thoughts: show me a word that rhymes with pavement Post/during listening thoughts: ok here’s my deep dark confession. I was totally not listening to this in the active way I usually do. Stardew valley just dropped the 1.6 update for console and I’ve been back on my grind. So this was very much a background listen. I have to say from what I tuned in to, it was okay, nothing special but I didn’t hate it. So a solid 3. 6/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no but everyone should hop on stardew’s update Fav tracks: Gold Soundz, Range Life Least fav tracks: Stop Breathin, Hit the Plane Down
probably pavement’s worst since they played it super safe here but it’s still good.
This falls into that category of MTV- ready grunge pop. It sounds like a Nirvana ripoff. Nothing new. Too clean. No real personality. Just an imitation. This is for suburban Midwest teenagers, who all have cars and hang out at the mall. It’s not bad. It’s just not that special. Whiny white boy noise.
A surprisingly decent album. I knew pavement, but thought I really only knew Cut Your Hair. The album doesn't start off great, but by the end of the album I found myself thoroughly enjoying it. Good album.
Ongeïnteresseerde zang, valse gitaren, zwalkende ritmes... dan denk je, is er ooit IEMAND geweest die zich hierdoor heeft laten beïnvloeden? Ja, in de zin dat er vast mensen waren die dit hoorden en dachten: 'Dit kan ik beter!' Maar verder?
Zelfs de grootste hit van dit album is vals gezongen, net of de stem overslaat. Dat moet dan het allerallerbeste zijn van het album. Kom op... Lukt het me om de stem te negeren, dan is het nog wel ok. Maar met 2 sterren mag deze band heel blij zijn. En strafpunten voor de lijstenmakers. Dit is een album dat iedereen zo snel mogelijk weer moet vergeten.
We hebben al eerder het debuut van Pavement gehad en ik schreef daarbij dat ik benieuwd was naar het 2e album, in de hoop dat dat iets toegankelijker zou zijn. In de hoop dat de zure broeders er misschien ook nog enigszins plezier aan zouden kunnen beleven. Maar ik ben bang dat die hoop vrij snel de kop in wordt gedrukt. Het is ergens wel iets toegankelijker qua schreeuwen, maar ze blijven keurig net naast de juiste toon zitten (doet me denken aan Lou Reed en Velvet Underground). Expres vals spelen op de gitaar, die overigens erg fijn licht distorted is (ipv heavy distortion van vele tijdgenoten). Het hitje is Cut Your Hair, typisch 90s, beetje Weezer stijl. Range Life is ook nog enigszins bekend, een soort Spinvis. Maar het is toch een beetje 'flutmuziek', dat moet ik helaas toegeven. Het zal de zure broeders niet overtuigen ben ik bang. Ik vind het leuk om dit soort muziek af en toe voorbij te horen komen. Al vind ik 2 albums van Pavement schromelijk overdreven. Kies er gewoon 1 en zet het debuutalbum van Weezer er gvd in (waarom staat dat er in vredesnaam niet in???). Ik zou er uit ergernis een punt afdoen, maar dan straf ik de band voor de onbegrijpelijke keuzes van Robert Dimery en consorten. Kreeg het eerste album uit een soort van verrassing en idee dat het potentie had nog tot een 4, nu kom ik ondanks een leuk hitje niet verder dan een vergeetbare 3. En dan ben ik nog mild. Het is dat me het verder niet stoorde.
Not for me.
Eh
Really enjoyed that. Almost post rock vibes
even after 15 years or so, this still gets better with every listen
I could imagine listening to this in the basement, next to the keg, at a college party 20 years ago. Very chill, stoner music. Boring & forgettable.
Can hear the fresh starts of some shoegazie indie stuff in here. Garage rock and some passion behind it. 3/10
Felt like generic 90s alternative stuff. I normally like that kind of thing and probably would have enjoyed this if I heard it first, but as is it feels a little too bland and derivative. "Cut Your Hair" is cool though.
A concept album about being a cool indie L.A. band.
By all means this should be a 4- or 5-star album for me, genre-wise, but something didn't click for me. The songs aren't particularly memorable, generally lacking any real hooks, riffs, or singability – excluding some standouts like Cut Your Hair, Gold Soundz, and Range Life. The singing is pretty lacklustre, though the guitar-playing mostly makes up for it. I'm a big fan of the acoustic guitar in Range Life (it really defines the track) and the simple yet stylish distortion in the guitar and (partially) the drumming. The main thing that really brings this down is the vocals in several particular tracks. In Newark Wilder, Stop Breathin, and Heaven Is a Truck, the singing is done quite lazily and atonally, almost giving the impression of an untalented band. But clearly these guys have talent (exhibit A: the instrumental track 5-4=Unity). I'm giving a generous 3 stars because I think this band is better than they're letting on. 3/5 Key tracks: Cut Your Hair, Gold Soundz, 5-4=Unity
On est en 1994. Kurt Cobain vient de se tirer une balle dans le caisson, laissant une génération entière orpheline, le coeur lourd et les Doc Martens crottées. La scène musicale, c'est Seattle : la flanelle, la sueur, l'angoisse existentielle hurlée dans des micros saturés, la pluie, la grisaille, la putain de grisaille. Le grunge a tout défoncé sur son passage, transformant la frustration adolescente en un business de plusieurs millions de dollars. Le rock était en deuil et un peu complaisant dans sa propre misère. Et puis, il y avait Pavement, et il faut se remettre dans le contexte. Au milieu de ce maelstrom de guitares lourdes et de cris déchirants venus du Nord-Ouest américain, a surgi une bande de branleurs californiens qui semblaient n'en avoir absolument rien à carrer de tout ça. Pas de pose torturée, pas de Rickenbacker prête à être fracassée contre un ampli, pas de textes sur le mal-être profond d'une jeunesse perdue. Non. Juste des mélodies pop tordues, un son de guitare faussement négligé, et des paroles qui slalomaient entre l'absurde, le génie poétique et le foutage de gueule intégral. Pavement, c'était le contre-pied parfait, celui du sourire en coin face à la grimace tragique. Leur premier album, "Slanted and Enchanted", était une pépite lo-fi, un trésor cradingue pour initiés, le genre de disque que tu te refilais sous le manteau quand tu bossais dans un shop indé, en mode "écoute ça, c'est le futur". C'était génial, mais c'était un secret bien gardé. Avec "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain", le secret allait s'éventer. Ne vous méprenez pas, on n'est pas passé chez les majors du jour au lendemain. Le son est plus propre, c'est indéniable. On sent que le groupe a passé un peu plus de temps en studio, que le budget n'était plus limité à trois packs de bière et un paquet de clopes. Le son est moins "sale" que sur le précédent, mais paradoxalement, il gagne une puissance redoutable. C'est le son d'un groupe qui a compris qu'on pouvait avoir des mélodies dignes des Kinks ou de Big Star sans pour autant sonner comme un juke-box propret. Cet album, c'est la bande-son d'un été sans fin à traîner sur un parking, à refaire le monde avec des potes, une bière tiède à la main. C'est décontracté en surface, mais incroyablement intelligent dans le fond. Stephen Malkmus, le leader-chanteur-guitariste-glandeur en chef, a ce talent unique pour écrire des hooks imparables qui ont l'air d'avoir été trouvés par accident. Sa voix, cette nonchalance étudiée, comme s'il venait de se réveiller et qu'il chantait en bâillant, est une insulte à tous les chanteurs à "performance" de l'époque. Et putain, qu'est-ce que c'est bon. On pense bien sûr à "Cut Your Hair", le "tube" de l'album. Un single parfait, avec son refrain ironique sur les exigences de l'industrie musicale, qui a même eu les honneurs de MTV. Pour beaucoup, c'était la porte d'entrée, mais le coeur de l'album, son âme, se trouve ailleurs. Il est dans la beauté mélancolique et ensoleillée de "Gold Soundz", probablement l'un des plus grands hymnes indie des années 90. Il est dans la fausse naïveté de "Silence Kit". Et puis, il y a "Range Life". Ah, "Range Life"... Le morceau qui a cristallisé tout ce qu'était Pavement. Une balade faussement country, traînante, magnifique, au milieu de laquelle Malkmus, l'air de rien, balance un tacle les deux pieds décollés aux deux têtes de gondole du rock alternatif de l'époque : Smashing Pumpkins et Stone Temple Pilots. "I don't understand what they mean / And I could really give a fuck". Le tout dit avec un tel détachement, une telle supériorité tranquille... C'était d'une arrogance sublime. C'était la déclaration d'indépendance d'un groupe qui refusait de jouer le jeu, qui se savait plus malin, plus cool, et qui n'avait même pas besoin de le crier. Pour nous, les gosses nés au début des années 70, qui avions grandi avec le post-punk et qui voyions le rock alternatif se transformer en une grosse machine un peu trop sérieuse, Pavement c'était une bouffée d'air frais. Une bouffée de cet air chaud et sec de la Californie. Ils nous rappelaient que le rock pouvait être fun, intelligent, ironique et touchant, tout ça en même temps, sans avoir besoin de se prendre pour Rimbaud sous héro. Alors pourquoi un 4 sur 5 et pas la note parfaite ? Peut-être parce que la perfection, chez Pavement, est une notion suspecte. "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain" est un album fantastique, un compagnon de route indispensable, une borne kilométrique de la musique des années 90. Mais il garde cette distance, cette nonchalance qui, si elle fait toute sa force, l'empêche peut-être d'atteindre les sommets de l'émotion pure. Mais est-ce vraiment ce qu'on lui demande ? Non. On lui demande d'être le disque le plus cool de la décennie. Et ça, il y arrive sans même forcer.
Perfect record. Zero notes. KOREA KOREA KOREA
So good. So near to gift shop!!! Need to own on CD
Eh.
Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
Not for me. 1/5
Until recently, I had only heard of Pavement and a few of their albums. I’m glad I finally checked them out today! This album sounds great. The production is something to admire. I also love the drums and percussion on this thing; they sound so clean! There are also tons of good songs here, especially “Cut Your Hair,” “Range Life,” and the closer, “Fillmore Jive.” “Fillmore Jive” is amazing! “5-4=Unity” is a fun little jazzy instrumental as well. The piano is a nice touch on it. I like the guitar and bass work on this album too; the guitar tones are clean and distorted when they need to be. A good example of that is “Hit The Plane Down,” which is really raw with its sound and themes. The vocals are cool and memorable, albeit a little iffy sometimes. The lyrics are emotional and abstract, and they can pack a punch sometimes. The album also flies by; it did not feel like it was over forty minutes. Even if the songs can feel the same sometimes, I’m looking forward to listening to more from Pavement in the future. This was a fun listen! This is an indie classic for a reason, and I’d recommend it.
90's slacker rock is not for me but I can't deny the talent of the band.
Piste incroyable sur piste incroyable, un album comme ça c'est rare putain :o On remarque une base slacker à la sonic youth, mais avec un effort inconsidérable sur les mélodies et le lyricisme.
Great album. Lots of dynamic range in terms of tempo and feel. Rang life, Gold Soundz, cut your hair, silence kid, and heaven is a truck are all winners. There are a few draggy spots but they set the table for the next course. I've been a Pavement listener for years and years but never really listened to whole albums undistracted and pointedly. I think I'll work my way through the catalog now. Very enjoyable experience.
4.0
Quite decent indie-rock. It seems that I don’t have the time to listen to it enough to do it justice. A couple more spins, and I guess more songs would’ve grown on me.
Pavement son una banda esencial de la música de los años 90. Herederos de The Replacements y Pixies, lideraron (a su pesar) una escuela que tuvo en Guided by Voices o Sebadoh a otros de sus puntales (aquí tuvimos a los inigualables Penelope trip, entre otros). En cierta forma fueron o buscaron lo contrario a lo que lograron Nirvana y el resto de bandas grunge. Su debut fue sensacional, este segundo disco también, y aunque sus posteriores trabajos son más elaborados no pierden el nivel. Supieron disolverse a tiempo y dejaron un legado inmaculado, algo que muy pocos pueden presentar. Incluye dos de sus temas más conocidos como son el éxito Cut your hair o Range Life (de la que Billy Corgan no guarda buen recuerdo). Crooked rain, crooked rain abre con Silence Kid , un trallazo fenomenal. Stop breathing pasa al Post-Rock Newark Wilder podría ser un boceto de algo mejor. Unfair es algo estupendo. Gold Soundz suena de maravilla. 5-4= Unity es una marcianada genial. Hit the plane down aporta algo de noise y el cierre con Fillmore Jive es una auténtica maravilla. Otros discos de una de las mejores cosechas que ha dado la música, 1994: BLUR: Parklife, PORTISHEAD: Dummy, MANO NEGRA: Casa Babylon, SUEDE: Dog Man Star, NAS: Illmatic, OASIS: Definitely Maybe, NEIL YOUNG: Sleeps With Angels, AMERICAN MUSIC CLUB: San Francisco, R.E.M.: Monster, HOLE: Live Through This, JEFF BUCKLEY: Grace, MASSIVE ATTACK: Protection, THE AUTERS: Now I’m A Cowboy, NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS: Let Love In, JOHNNY CASH: American Recordings, SEBADOH: Bakesale, UNDERWORLD: Dubnobasswithmyheadman, STONE ROSES: Second Coming, BECK: Mellow Gold, MARK LANEGAN: Whiskey For The Holy Ghost, TOM PETTY: Wildflowers, THE BEASTIE BOYS: Ill Comunication, KRISTIN HERSH: Hips And Makers, SABRES OF PARADISE: Haunted Dancehall, JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION: Orange, NIRVANA: Unplugged In New York, ALI FARKA TOURE & RY COODER: Talking Timbuktu, PULP: His’n’Hers, THE PRODIGY: Music For The Gilted Generation, VERUCA SALT: American Thighs, THE WALKABOUTS: Satisfied Ma, MANIC STREET PREACHERS: The Holy bible, Elvis Costello: Brutal Youth, The Offspring- Smash,
It starts to sound remarkably like Wilco towards the end.
When I think quintessential Indie bands, Pavement along with Modest Mouse and Built to Spill are the bands that immediately come to mind. Stephen Malkmus earnestly guides us thru Crooked Rain, his distinct, slightly out of tune vocals work so well here. The music sounds murky and loose, I absolutely love the fun vibes on display here and I understand they're notably labelled a 'slacker' band but there is absolutely nothing slacking in Malkmus' guitar work, things can be floating along and suddenly he just rips into a frantic riff. This is awesome, Pavement is great. 5 stars
Long live Bob!
Whiny. Not terrible.
Really quite enjoyed this - American version of pixies 7/10
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain tracks in order from best to worst: 1. Gold Soundz 2. Range Life 3. Silence Kid 4. Cut Your Hair 5. Elevate Me Later 6. Stop Breathin 7. Fillmore Jive 8. Heaven is a Truck 9. Newark Wilder 10. Unfair 11. 5-4=Unity 12. Hit the Plane Down
It sounds like the type of 90's music that I loved (and still do) but somehow this didn't quite hit the spot.
what can i say. i love da pavement. it took me a while to get there but i did eventually. i think this is their most listenable and cohesive album. fav tracks: well all of them actually. but specifically newark wilder; unfair; cut your hair; range life; fillmore jive; silence kit/d
I think this is one of those times where I realize that there's some music that just isn't for me because I'm not someone who really listens to lyrics much. I was getting the vibe that it had good lyricism in the way that someone who doesn't know a lot of technical info about music might hear something complex and be like yes hmm sounds very impressive even if I don't know why... I know this is odd because I do in fact speak English and should be able to understand the level of intellect of lyrics in English but alas. I do feel like this is one of those cases where I’m close to being able to connect with the lyrics so maybe upon a relisten it would strike me more, and the last song was really great especially!! A really perfect album ending actually. The music itself was good although I struggled to adjust to how his voice sounds at the beginning. But by the end I didn't mind it as much and I was just happy he was expressing himself with what God gave him <3 so thank you mr. pavement that was overall a pretty enjoyable experience.
Thanks to the random number generator, I've had two Pavement albums back to back. For me, Crooked Rain Crooked Rain is a significant downgrade from Slanted and Enchanted. I enjoyed several songs, particularly Cut Your Hair and 5-4=Unity, but the more polished sound didn't have the energy or little pockets of interest that Pavement's debut album did. Crooked Rain Crooked Rain is still a good album but, as someone who doesn't listen to Pavement all that often, I can't see why I'd listen to it over Slanted and Enchanted. 3 Stars feels a little harsh, but giving it the same 4 as their previous album feels overly generous. If it were out of 10, this album would be a low 7 whereas Slanted and Enchanted would be a high 8 for me.
Great album
Ah! A band I've seen! I went into this album thinking "well this'll be fun". And it was! But I guess I never paid any mind to the lyrics because man, there are some sad/longing songs on this album. I like extremely sad lyrics to fun, upbeat instrumental, so this was a nice surprise. But I'm not entirely convinced that this isn't just a fun album... Favorite song(s): Range Life, Cut Your Hair (duh) Least favorite song: Hit the Plane Down Knew before? sorta
Sigh. Peak indie music. Glorious!
How did this influence anything. Committed the ultimate crime, boring.
None of the tracks stood out and one or two were a bit cacophonous for me taste (Hit the Plane Down) so it’s between a 2 and a 3 - I doubt I’d listen again.
Favorite Track: Cut Your Hair
Didn’t do a lot for me
Listened to this a lot as a teen. Always sorta dug it and the style... but no real reason why. Cut Your Hair was the draw and is still the best track. I enjoy it a lot. The rest of the album, not so much.
7/10. In my opinion, the music is sick, but the album isn't too memorable. :)
I never got into Pavement when this was released. I like Cut Your Hair, just never listened to them much.
pretty goddamn good and definitely in the running for my favorite pavement album highlights: silence kid, cut your hair, gold soundz (dec 9 2023)
i used to be very annoyed by pavement, but now i think they're decent!
Having never listened to them before I can say that I understand why they became but it's popular as they did, and why they ended up in the book. But I did overall find it underwhelming
Definitely more listenable than Slanted and Enchanted (although it has been over 900 albums ago), this often sounds like decent 90s alternative music with a few abrasions here and there. It might grow on me with repeated listening, but as of today I thought it was fine, but not something I actually want to go back to.
I don't know...I guess it is a 3. It's a "whatever" for me.
With this rating, I will reveal our last album in this project. For the penultimate album, we had our second from Pavement. It's fine. In three years, we've had zero albums from each of the following: Laurie Anderson Pat Benatar En Vogue Melissa Etheridge Bobbie Gentry Heart Whitney Houston Indigo Girls Joan Jett Grace Jones Gladys Knight Alison Krauss Martha Reeves Diana Ross Salt-n-Pepa Carly Simon Donna Summer This is your last chance 1001 to put one of these deserving artists on the list. Revealing the last in three...two...one...
I really loved the other Pavement album on this list from two years prior, Slanted and Enchanted. But I wasn't sure I was happy having this in the penultimate position on my 1001 journey. My doubts were unfounded. This album is even better than the previous. The songs are musically and lyrically wonderful - shambolically exquisite songs. I don't know how I lived without Range Life, but now that I know it it is one of my favorite songs! Totally terrific!
Did not like this music style
A good US alternative rock/indie rock album from the first half of the 1990s, I liked the general vibe of it, though nothing really stands out, I think I prefered Slanted and Enchanted over this album.
Of the garage bands, these were the best. And this was their best album.
Encore une voix de cul sur du bon instru
I appreciate the jangly indie sound but it didn’t stand out too much
I've listened to Slanted & Enchanted, but never this one. Stop Breathin is great -- melancholy chords and out of tune singing make me think of Alex G fused with Modest Mouse (particularly Sleepwalking). Cut Your Hair sounds like something that would have played in the background of some 90s/00s comedy movie. Solid song in its own right. Newark Wilder also has a familiar element to it, tapping into the melancholy tone again -- I enjoy the rough edges here. Solid all around indie rock. I can imagine the vocals not being everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed their imperfection and how it compliments the minor / messiness of the rest of the mix. Not my favorite album by any means, but something I could listen to end over end without getting bored. 4 / 5
Whiny little bitch of an album to listen to. 2 stars
Listened to pavement while running on pavement. Don't care for the singers voice. Had a bit of a groove in the third quarter of this album, but then we got back to whiny voice. Was trending toward the "low 3" category, but after the last two songs it confidently hits the "square 2" category